Originally posted by Ernest Friedman-Hill: Yes, just because -- or as we computer sciency type fellas like to say, "by definition." The Java Lanaguage Specificiation explicitly states that NaN is not equal to anything, including itself.

If we compare with the inequality operator: != The comparison is true.

"By definition" is the only option.

If floating point division by zero is really not the same as whatever the value of java.lang.Double.NaN is, then what is the value of floating point division by zero? Did someone just choose to use the same "word"(NaN) to describe that value?

Keith Lynn
Ranch Hand

Joined: Feb 07, 2005
Posts: 2367

posted Oct 16, 2006 15:46:00

0

Originally posted by leo donahue:

If we compare with the inequality operator: != The comparison is true.

"By definition" is the only option.

If floating point division by zero is really not the same as whatever the value of java.lang.Double.NaN is, then what is the value of floating point division by zero? Did someone just choose to use the same "word"(NaN) to describe that value?

It depends on what the numerator is.

If the numerator and denominator are both 0, the result is NaN.

If the numerator is, for instance, 1.0, then 1.0/0 is Infinity.

As Tim pointed out, in the case of 0.0/0 != Double.NaN, just because two things are not numbers, they are not necessarily equal to each other. [ October 16, 2006: Message edited by: Keith Lynn ]

leo donahue
Ranch Hand

Joined: Apr 17, 2003
Posts: 327

posted Oct 16, 2006 15:50:00

0

Yes, I meant both numerator and denominator.

I keep forgetting the slightest inference really takes the converstation in different directions. I'll try harder.

Mathematically speaking, x/0 is undefined, not infinity. Where x is a real number, not zero. Infinity is not a number, but can basically be described as if there exists a one-to-one correspondence between that set and a proper subset of itself then the set is infinite.

If you have 1/x, then its value approaches infinity as x goes to zero, but 1/0 is not an infinite number, since infinity is not a number.